84 S E R M Q N S upon the Serro. XIV . underftanding is Infinite, as it is faid in the Plains, and fo by one aét of underflanding he knows all things that are, have been, yea, that !hall be, or-may be : He knows ad things that fhall be in his own Decree ; And au things that maybe by his Divine Power and Alfuficiency; They are all before him naked, as the Apostle infers, Heb. 4.13. Cut clown as it were by the chin -bone : As when we cut down a Beaft by the chin -bone, and divide his Body, we may fee all things withinhim ; fo all things are naked and open to God. We know things fucceffively, God knows them all at once. If a man were to reada Book, he mull go from line to line, or from pageto page, but Gods knowledg is juft fuch athing as ifa man fhould fee through a Book, by one aftof his mind,. by one view could know all that wascontainedinthat book,by one glance of his Eye. Well, this is his divine wifdom : For his Humane wifdom, that cannot be equal to this, for a Finite Nature is not capable of an Infinite Underftanding. But yet his humane wifdom is fuch as doth far exceed the knowledge of all Men and Angels. When Chrift was .upon Earth, though the forms of things could not but fucceflively come into his mind ; as a man, he mull underftand as men do in underftanding, becaufe of the limited natureof the mind and underllanding; yet then he could know whatever he would, to whatfoever thing he did apply his mind, he did prefently underftand it, and that in a moment all things wereprefented to him ; So that he accuratelyknew the nature of things, he had a mind to know; you find upon all occafions he was not ignorantofthe thoughts and hearts of men,and when done never fo fecretly,yet Chrift knew them,as when the woman came behind him, and touched the hem of his Garment undifcernibly (as Ilse thought) by a fecret touch, then faith Chrift, who touched me ? for vertue is pared from me, Luke 8.45 Chrift knew the touch of Faith,knew the woman that came behind him,andwould not be Peen. And Mat. 9. 3, 4. When certain Pharifees fail within themfelvet, this man Blaf- phemes: Within their hearts,though they Mull not fayit publiquely ; and Chrift difcovers their inward thoughts, and tarns out the very infide of their Souls. So Mat. t a. Jefus knew their thoughts, when they imagined that by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils, he call out Devils. But more fully fee that notable place which will fet forth, that no fubtil devices we can ufe is fuffieient to efcape his knowledge, Yohn z. 24, 25. When he was at Jerufa- 1em at the Paffover,on the Feaff day, many believedin has Name,when they jaw the miracles which he did. But 7efus did not commit himfelf unto them, becaufe . he knew all men, and needed not that any. Jhould tefiify of man: For he knew what was in man. Mark, they are faid to believe in Chrift ; certainly their Faith was not pretended only, but real, though not a thorough faith, not rooted in their fouls, though as yet they did not betray their infincerity. But fefus knew what was in man, We cannot infallibly difcern the truth and falfhood of a profefiion, before men difcover themfelves ; But all hypocrites are known to him long before they thew their hypocrify ; And known, how? Not by a Con. jeStural, but by a certain knowledge, as being that knowledge that is from and by hirn- felf; as God he do's infallibly know what is molt fecret in man, even then when for the prefent we have but a Moral Sincerity, and do not dilfemble, the Lord knows whether thisisa true, real, and fupernatural work (for there may be a Moral, where there is not a Supernatural Sincerity. Now, if the Lord Jefus was endowed with fuck an admirable wifdom and underftanding, even in the days of his flefli, when he was capable of growing in wifdom as well as in flature, Luk. z. as his humane capacitywas inlarged by degrees,for he would in all thingsbe like us except in fin;what !hall we think of Chrift glorifyed, when he comes in that Bate in which he is now glorious in heaven .> When he comes to exercife this judgment,certainly he fhall bring an incomparable know. ledge,fo far exceedingthe man3er and meafure of all Creatures,Men or Angels, even as he is man : But his infinite knowledge as he is God, that chiefly f nines forth in this work, and therefore he is fit to judge, for he can bring forth the fecret things of darknefs, and the hidden counfels of the heart, t Cor. 4. 5. And (hall defpoil !inners of all their preten- ces and excufes, and plainly and undeniably pluck offtheir d ifguifes from them. He knows all the Springs,Motions, hidden Counfels of the heart, and fecret things that move you, . and fet you awork. z. For 7nJlice and Righteoufnefs. An Incorrupt Judge he is, that neither hats, doth,. or can err in the judgment. As there is a double knowledge in Chrift,fo there is alto adou- ble righteoufnefs;the one that belongs to him as God,the other as man; And both are exa& and immutably perfeá. H;s Divine nature is holinefs it felf, In him there is light, and no darknefs at all, s Palm r. 5. The leats fhadow of Iniuftice cannot be imagined in God, for Gods holinefs.is his. Being, it is not .a fuperadded Quality, as it is in us ; The Q ality may be loft, yet the Being remain,as in Angels,.holinefs was a fuperadded Quality, they had
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